The Transient Forest
by MercuryMoon
Summary: Ryugenzawa Forest is home to Shinnosuke, his grandpa, and many.. odd creatures. When a newcomer joins them and things start to go wrong, how can someone as forgetful as Shinnosuke narrate the story properly?
1. Chapter 1

(Author's Notes: Shinnosuke is a character from Ranma 1/2 that first appears in book 25 and leaves after 26. His only appearance is in the OAV, "An Akane to Remember." Therefore, I will be taking liberties such as giving him a last name and making up his whole past)

Disclaimer: _Shinnosuke and any other Ranma 1/2 characters that will appear in this fic belong to Rumiko Takahashi. However, any original characters and this plot belong solely to me._

**The Transient Forest**

**Chapter One - An Octopus Joins**

Grandpa is always stressing out because of me. He is an old man now, almost seventy, and he has been taking care of me since my parents died eleven years ago. He doesn't do a bad job of it either, but don't tell him that. Sometimes I forget who he is, and that really annoys him. He'll start yelling and pulling on his hair, and half the time he doesn't even realize I'm just kidding with him.

Long ago, when I first came under his care, Grandpa had owned a small petting zoo by the forest. However, one day, a platypus escaped and began chasing visitors at the zoo. I don't remember much else about what happened, but Grandpa always tells me that was the start of our troubles.

I'm used to my lifestyle now, one I've led for roughly ten years. Everyday I go to the forest and track down the giant animals that thrive on the Water of Life. They don't do much harm, but sometimes the occasional stray visitors come by, and I have to rescue them. I guess you can call me "one who rescues damsels in distress." Frankly I don't think it matches me because I would help anyone who needed it, not just girls, but oh well. If they want to romanticize me, I won't stop them. You can't change the minds of people that easily; they tend to be stubborn as pigs.

Now that I think about it, I've always had a bad memory. Heck, sometimes I can't even remember my own grandfather! You can bet that really pisses him off when I do that, but he's used to it by now. At least I think so. He doesn't hit me as hard anymore, so I suppose my memory's improved somewhat or he's just gotten tired of it. I swear though, when he does whack me on the head, I lose more brain cells, destroying my memory even more. You would think he would be sensitive to that fact, but then he is my grandfather. He has to take up the responsibility of raising his own grandson, and if his grandson can't even remember him, what are the chances of him remembering his duties?

So I guess you can say I do see Grandpa's point. He worries about me a lot and one time even dressed in drag to save my life. I almost died from laughing because he looked so silly wearing a frilly pink dress and a long brown wig. His face was even made up! If the monster he was fighting was able to understand, I think it also would have died from laughter. Grandpa was prancing around in the dress, and you could see his hairy legs. No wonder why the Yamato Orochi got so enraged; it's used to eating pretty girls, but in Grandpa's case, a decrepit old man was being offered to him!

Anyway, that was all a month or two ago, back when I still had these enormous scars on my back. Those scars were caused a long time ago when a giant platypus slashed me. I almost died then, but Grandpa saved me. The scars are gone now, healed by the moss growing on the Yamato Orochi, the monster that dwells deep inside the spring inside Ryugenzawa Forest. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, that's where I live. It's a nice place, one I love dearly. I've been living there with Grandpa for the past eleven years, ever since the animals escaped and drank the Water of Life. There's always a peaceful feeling to the forest if you can just ignore the giant animals crawling on the trees, flying through the air, or swimming in the springs. I'm always setting up traps for them, but then I forget about the set traps. The end result? I'm the one getting stuck in the pits, nets and rockfalls that I erected an hour earlier.

It's amazing how easily one gets used to something. I'm used to the fact that Grandpa will always fret over me. I'm used to the fact that I'm going to stay in Ryugenzawa forever to keep the animals out of civilization. I'm even used to the fact that I have a horrible memory, so even though the only time I'm used to it is when I remember what a bad memory I have, so I guess I'm still not really used to it. Grandpa attributes my forgetfulness to the fact that I lived on borrowed time for nine years. It is true that since the scars on my back have been healed, I've been remembering more and more. However, I believe he exaggerates about just how bad it can be. Who could forget the grandfather who raised him since the age of four?

Sometimes when I'm by myself, just as I am now, I sit by one of the springs and just think. Akane comes to mind, and so does her fiancé, Ranma. I owe those two more than anything I could ever repay them. They, along with Ryoga, a friend of theirs, and Grandpa, risked their lives to save mine. They fought the Yamato Orochi, a fearsome eight-headed serpent, to obtain the magical moss growing on its eighth and largest head that would save my life. They succeeded in the end, but only with the help of a whistle made from the horn of the horned mongoose, Yamato Orochi's mortal enemy.

Now that I think about Akane, I wonder about the depth of my feelings for her. I never confessed to her, and I am glad. She was my first love, but at the same time, not. There was something endearing about her that appealed to me. Maybe it was her determination and loyalty to the people she cared about. The whole time she stayed at Ryugenzawa, she never forgot about Ranma. Sure, she fought with him when they were together, but I could tell they cared deeply about each other. That was one main reason why I never confessed, although my heart longed to.

I tell myself to forget about her, but for once, this is one thing I cannot forget. Maybe it _is_ because she is my first love. Maybe because I wrote her name countless times on the wall by the bathtub when she first told me her name. Or maybe it's because I can never forget how delicious her cooking tasted. It could have been only the Water of Life that influenced the taste so much, but if one thinks about it, why did Grandpa's and my own cooking never taste like that? No, there was something about the time and effort she put into her cooking that embellished it, that made it so special.

Either that or I just daily forgot what our own cooking tasted like. It's entirely possible, because now Grandpa's cooking tastes almost as good as Akane's did. Although do I really still remember what her soup tasted like? It was divine, light on the tongue and never too hot, unlike Grandpa's, which always burns me when I try to swallow it. The mixture was perfect, too; not too salty, not too thick. Both Grandpa and I couldn't get enough of it, and it cheered my heart to see her happy and pleased smile. It made me want to eat her cooking for the rest of my life just so I could see that smile directed at me.

Sometimes I wonder if I idealized her completely and never paid attention to the person she was underneath and the faults she had. If one sees a friend's worst fault, he can begin to respect her even more. Perhaps I didn't do that with Akane. I imagined her as a goddess, perfect as only one could be.

I stand up and begin walking, my reminiscing over. Night is falling fast, and I need to return home before dinnertime. Grandpa had said he had a special treat for me, so I couldn't be late. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it could be, but oh well. It's the thought that matters, right? A small grin sneaks up on my face, and I laugh at what the surprise could be. _Maybe a new jacket?_ I think ruefully. The one I'm wearing right now is one I've had for the last year, and the patches are beginning to get a bit worn. Or perhaps a new broom? After all, my current one is losing its power from constantly whacking the platypus two to three times a day. It's as if the broom's shedding! The vision of a living broom floats into my mind, and I cannot help but double up in laughter for five full minutes. The platypus would really have to watch out then!

As soon as I've regained my senses and begin walking again, I start fingering the horned mongoose whistle around my neck. It was a gift from Grandpa that I thought I had lost nine years ago, but strangely enough, it reappeared in the hands of Akane. She blew it in our battle against the Yamato Orochi, saving our lives and flesh. I wanted to confess my love then and there, but by then, she had eyes only for Ranma. I can't really blame her either. Sure he's extremely possessive, eager to insult her, and refuses to even taste her delicious cooking, but I can see that the two really compliment each other. So perhaps the real reason why I claim to have forgotten that I've confessed to Akane three times already is because I realize this fact: No matter what I say or do, Akane will never feel for me the same way she feels for Ranma. And you know what? I don't care anymore. I won't break a happy couple. Knowing me, I would probably forget her just as easily as I forget Grandpa all the time.

In reality, much as I seem to complain about it, I enjoy life in Ryugenzawa Forest. It's extremely quiet and peaceful, once you get used to all the strange and gigantic animals creeping all over the place. Most of them are mild-natured, but one must be wary of the platypus. In fact, it's the same platypus that caused the scars on my back nine years ago. We have an uneasy relationship now; as long as he doesn't create havoc in the forest, I leave him alone. He's an admirable beast really, but I just don't get why he likes to attack random visitors.

I'm almost home, and already, the good smell of Grandpa's home-cooking reaches my nose. It involuntarily begins twitching, and I run the rest of the way to the house. Leaving my shoes outside, I step inside. "I'm back," I announce.

"Welcome home," he says gruffly. "Dinner's almost ready."

I nod and sit down. The fire in the corner burns merrily and spreads heat all around the room, so I remove my navy jacket, carefully folding it and placing it on the ground next to me. Then I sit quietly, waiting for him to come with the food.

"How did today go?" he asks as he brings a steaming pot of soup over. "Anything happen?"

I shake my head. "Just the usual. Platypus refuses to go by our unspoken rules though. I swear, he pops up anywhere he thinks I might be just to irritate me."

"Rescue any damsels in distress?" Grandpa asks as he hands me a filled bowl of noodle soup.

I take in a deep breath. It smells delicious. "None since Akane," I reply before drinking some of the soup.

"Pity," he says.

I shrug. "I'm glad. Because I would keep on forgetting she's here and end up walking in on her when she's bathing."

Wrong move. I realize I shouldn't have said that as soon as the words slip out of my mouth. Grandpa eyes me slyly. "Like you did with Akane?"

My face heats up, and I place my bowl down in protest. "You know I forgot she was there!"

"I wonder," Grandpa says as he strokes his beard. I get the urge to seize it and twist it hard enough for him to cry 'Uncle,' but I don't.

"I wonder," he continues, oblivious to my secret ponderings. "I wonder if you just claim to forget at convenient times."

"Convenient for you, too," I remind him. "There was that time when.."

Grandpa clears his throat. "Anyway, I must give you your present before I forget." He bows his head, then gets up and leaves the room. At first I debate whether or not to follow him, but then decide since he wants it to be a surprise, I might as well wait here until he came back with whatever the gift is.

The sound of rustling reaches my ears, and my senses are instantly put on alert. Reaching for my jacket, I hurriedly slip it on and grab my broom. The rough feel of the handle is reassuring in my hand, and I know I'm ready to take down anything. It's probably just a normal human being, but you never know. A koala or a flying squirrel could have found its way to our house.

The door opens, and a man calls, "Anyone there?"

I groan inwardly. Great. Visitors. I hate visitors. I lower my broom and set it on the ground, then go to get the door. You would think the stranger would be polite enough to knock first at least, but nope. In addition to opening it without permission, he's also already stepped inside and removed his shoes. I see him examining the left wall of the room, and I wonder what he's so captivated about. There's never been anything there, and I can't see why there would be now simply because there's a visitor in the house.

The man turns around when he senses my presence, and I get a good luck of his face. He is of medium build, with shoulder-length black hair and bangs that shape around his thin face. Glasses rest on his nose, and he holds a scroll in his left arm. The man wears a traditional Japanese black robe and even the white socks to match it. All in all, he looks the scholarly type.

"I was wondering," he says. "How long have you lived in this forest and what is your name?"

I glance at him, my eyes meeting evenly with his own dark blue ones. "Why is it your business?"

"I am here to train," is his simple reply. "I am wondering if it would be all right to board here while I am doing so. I will pay for my rooming and food."

I jerk my thumb back where Grandpa is. "You'll have to ask my grandfather."

He smiles gently. "Thank you. And you are?"

A shrug. "Ryuura Shinnosuke."

The man sticks out his hand. "Dr. Kinomoto Tako."

"Tako," I say to myself. "Tako, Tako, Tako.." I repeat it several more times. After I'm sure I've committed it to memory long enough to last me five minutes, I turn back to Tako. "Do you have a pen?" I ask.

He digs into his robe and pulls out a fine black one. "Will this do?"

I grab it. "Yep," I say, and begin scribbling on the wall. _Tako, Tako, Tako, Tako… _

"May I ask why you're writing my name over and over on the wall?" the young doctor asks me.

I don't even look at him. "So I can remember."

"But you just said it four times," he says, confused.

"Have a bad memory," I reply.

Tako comes over and checks out what I'm writing. "That's the wrong kanji, Shinnosuke. My name isn't Octopus, it's Tako, as in Kite."

"Too late," I respond. "Octopus has already been committed to my memory."

"But didn't you say you were extremely forgetful?" he asks patiently.

"Shinnosuke, where are you?" someone calls. "I finally found your present!"

I turn around. Before me stands an appalling apparition. Yellow eyes bulge out of a emerald green face, and black hair sticks out randomly all around the head. A thick, flowing white beard grows from the chin and is contrasted by the monster's black clothes. As it dexterously jumps from foot to foot, I see the straw sandals on its gnarly feet.

"Who are you?" I demand suspiciously. "Why is a creature such as you in our home?"

The monster stares at me blankly, then yanks off his head in one swift motion. I jump at its sudden ferocity, clinging on to my broom as tightly as I can. I'm prepared to use it if I must. I need to protect this stranger who has just ventured into my home and am ready to whack the monster as many times as is needed to chase it out, two-headed it may be.

Underneath the head is a balding old man. He sports a magnificent snowy mustache, and I see that this is where the white beard came from. "Did I scare you?" he asks eagerly.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"Shinnosuke, you idiot grandson! Don't tell me you've forgotten your grandfather _again!_"

I stare at him and recognition hits. "Oh right," I say sheepishly as I lower my broom. "You're Grandpa." Then I tip my head over to the side. "Were you always this ugly?"

A whack on the head is my reward. 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hm.. I didn't forget about this story, but I forgot how far I got on it and thought I had a block on it. Apparently not, since I was on Chapter 3, not the beginning of 2 like I thought, when I checked it again. xD Hope you like it!

**Chapter Two - What are Dreams Made Of?**

A week later, Tako has settled into our home quite easily. Grandpa readily accepted him when he discovered he was a scholar. I think he wants me to get some schooling done since I've never had the chance to have any formal education. Being raised in an enchanted forest means I won't have all the opportunities normal people get. Tako seems nice, but I get the feeling he will be quite fierce if he starts teaching me; sometimes when I go up to him and try to chat while he's studying, he gives me this glare and snaps at me to leave him alone. I can't help but laugh and then leave. Ten minutes later, I'm back again, asking if he wants to go with me to visit the springs or something. Tako yells that I'm too forgetful for my own good and then returns to his work. Half an hour later, I'm back to plague him. That's when he gets up and starts chasing me around. I lead him out of the house and into the forest until we reach the springs, where I wanted to take him before. All in all, I must say it's a successful plan. He's overwhelmed by the beauty of the surrounding scenery and gets to take a break from studying, and I get to show another person around the forest. See, being known for being forgetful has its good points.

I think he realizes I'm toying with him half the time, but I reckon he's grateful for the break. One can't keep studying forever; his brain would rot from all the material crammed into his head! You're shaking your head at me, but then again, you're not me, so what makes sense to me probably won't to you. All right, I'll remind you again: I'm extremely forgetful, remember? So no matter what I try to remember, I always forget with the snap of a finger. Hey, wait! That gives you no excuse to snap your fingers right now…

Whatever, I don't think it's important anyway. Think what you want; I can't change another person's mind just by willing it. It'll never be that easy. I mean, if it were, Akane would be in love with me, which she isn't. But then if she wanted to love Ranma, there couldn't have been anything I could have done about it, unless I wanted to have a battle of wills with her. Then Ranma would have joined in to help her, and I would have lost two to one. Anyway, I wouldn't want to force anyone to love me; it's just not the same thing then.

One always thinks the forest is inimical, but that's not true. There may be a lot of gigantic animals floating around, but the majority of them are peaceful. I think the only one wanderers have to watch out for is the platypus. He's the one who almost killed me years ago. I have to thank Ranma, Akane, Ryoga, and most of all, Grandpa, for saving my life. They fetched some magical moss off the eighth head of the Yamato Orochi to heal the wounds on my back over a month ago. The spring where the Yamato Orochi lives is a breathtaking place. I often visit it when I have nothing better to do or just have too much on my mind. When I'm just sitting by the edge of the spring, so much becomes clear to me. Any inner pain inside me is also mitigated.

Hmm, completely off topic, but it's noon now. I've kidnapped Tako for a walk in the forest, and we're wandering around pointlessly. He finally gave up and came with me after I dropped by, according to him, ten times. He reckoned it would be easier to study after a trip to the forest because he certainly couldn't when I continuously dropped by, as hourly as an alarm clock. This just goes to show that those with persistence **will** win.

Neither of us is saying anything; I think we're enjoying the scenery too much. It is rather nice today after all. The breeze is cool and tickles our faces. As we walk, I swing my broom on one side, thankful there's nothing nearby that I need to use it on. Sometimes, I just like to have a break, y'know? Right.. Surely you must think I'm digressive now. Which I am. So there's nothing you can do about it. All the rambling is done in my head though; I never actually voice it because people would 1) think I'm insane, and 2) call me verbose.

Tako jabs me with one finger as we sit under a tree near some giant koalas that watch us out of the corner of their suspicious red eyes. "Shinnosuke, I've been wondering for a while," Tako says. "Why do you carry that broom with you?"

I grinned. "Why must you ask foolish questions?"

Tako rolled his eyes. "Why do you decide not to study?"

"Why do I need to study?" I rejoin.

"Why do you need a broom?" Tako returns.

I jab my thumb behind me. "Here in this forest, a broom's lot more useful than books and nonsense."

Tako narrows his eyes. "Yet you realize that once you leave this forest, you won't be able to survive without being educated?"

I shrug. "Who says I intend on leaving?"

Tako turns around so he can properly see my face. "You mean to say you intend on living here for the rest of your life? Until you die?"

"It's peaceful, isn't it?" I ask. "Who doesn't want to live somewhere peaceful?"

Tako looks at me as if he is trying to comprehend what I am saying. "You live in a dream world, don't you?" he finally asks.

I wave my hand around. "Does this look like a dream world?" I demand. "Sometimes it's harder to live here than in the supposed 'real world.'" Setting my broom down, I stand up and start walking around. "I don't just live here to protect the animals from civilization; I live here to protect the forest from being cut down. That is why I will remain here for the rest of my life."

With his right hand, Tako pushes his glasses up his nose. "Hate to break it to you, kiddo, but it's hard to be so idealistic. You need to lead a more temporal life."

There's nothing I can really say in response to that. He is right after all, but I can't stop being idealistic. I love it here, and I want to constantly forget that one day I may be forced to leave. It is my home after all, and who wants to leave his home? With a shrug, I twirl my broom around once just so I can drop it and answer, "It's part of who I am. Besides," I say as I pick up my broom again. "Who else has the ability to keep the giant animals away from civilization except Grandpa and me?"

Tako doesn't say anything for a while. He stands up and walks a little distance away from me. "It's too bad not everyone can live in your world," he says in a voice so softly it's almost as if I imagine him saying it. Then he clears his throat, and when he's facing me again, there's a wide smile on his face. "Shinnosuke, you must teach me how to fight."

I stare at him blankly. "What for? Are you going to come join us in Ryugenzawa or something?"

He laughs bitterly. "Nothing that simple. I want to learn how to fight because in the world we live in now, it is essential to be able to defend oneself. There is no reassurance of peace" He looks down at his smooth, pale hands. "And here I am, a scholar, without any knowledge of fighting. What can I do to fight the cruelties that go on?"

"What made you come here?" I want to know. It is a question I am curious about. Tako does not seem the fierce time; he seems the kind to stay home and study all the time, perhaps even be a teacher. He does not give off the aura of a fighter. But for some reason, what he said in the very beginning rings in my mind now. It was something extremely uncharacteristic of the man I know now. There had been something about him being here for training, but up until now, he had never mentioned it.

Tako answers with a rhetoric question. "What is anyone's reason to fight?"

I start ticking a list off. "To protect loved ones, to get revenge, protect one's principles." I pause for a moment to think. "That's about all I can come up with at the moment."

"Revenge," Tako says softly. "Why can't one just let go when it comes to revenge?"

"I don't know," I answer. "I for one don't get the point of it. My memory's so bad I can never remember crimes committed against me."

"Which may be a good thing," he whispers. "You remain innocent, like a child." Then Tako motions to my broom. "We went on a huge tangent, and you still haven't told me why you carry that broom around."

I swing it around once and it strikes the ground, causing dirt to swirl up in a little cloud. "Just because I like to."

A raise of an eyebrow is his response. "Very descriptive," he says.

"Thank you," I reply.

Once again, neither of us says anything. What Tako said makes me think. What I believe is based on what Grandpa has taught me over the years. I suppose when you only have one role model, you grow up lopsided. I'm actually lucky because Grandpa is a decent guy. He has pretty strict convictions and sticks to them, which is something he's taught me. Also, Grandpa's not as perverted as some older men are, and he's not a bad fighter either if you ignore the fact that he's aging. There was that time when..

Whoops, I'm rambling again. I always forget I'm talking to someone. It's a pain in the neck for the other person, because sometimes I'll go off on a tangent for ten minutes and completely forget the original topic. Hey, don't give me that look! I know there are plenty of people in the world who are like me!

I know, I know, just because I say there are a lot of people like me doesn't mean there actually are. To tell you the truth, I've never met anyone like myself in the forest. Therefore, is my assumption really correct? I do wonder. But then again, if I am as bad as I say I am, what are the chances of me remembering the said person? But Akane! I remembered her! But the other people I rescued. Geez, now I'm just confusing myself!

Tako jabs me in the shoulder. "Hey, since you dragged me all the way out here, why don't you show me around the forest?"

I turn around and stare at him dubiously. "Y'know, I almost forgot you were there. You should speak sooner next time. I was about to walk off."

Tako rolls his eyes and slaps his forehead. "You're unbelievable."

"Thank you," I reply with a smirk. "But at least I haven't forgotten your name yet. Shall we go?"

Tako shrugs. "I couldn't care less. You're the one leading."

Ooh, I get to pick where we go. There are a lot of places I want to take him to, but the place I want him to see most is the one I never forget. It's one I doubt anyone could forget, especially if it's a sight one such as me could remember. The air there is the cleanest and most pristine in the forest. Even the most impassive man becomes impetuous upon spending an hour there. I often go there for arbitrary reasons instead of pondering on it. All around, it seems as if music is flowing through the trees. It is like poetry.

"Can you trust me?" I ask.

I get a raise of an eyebrow again. "If I didn't, would I be following you now?"

"Good point," I realize. I jerk my head to the left. "Okay, and now we're just standing here and talking. Let's go."

Without another word, we both take off.


End file.
